The TSA background check is Step 7 in TSA’s current eight-step Transportation Security Officer hiring process. TSA’s current public TSO page places it after the medical evaluation and federal drug screening and before the Ready Pool.

TSA currently tells TSO candidates to complete an electronic SF-86 / e-86 national security background form, schedule fingerprinting, and complete credit and criminal-history record checks as part of this stage.

This page summarizes current TSA candidate guidance. It does not predict an adjudication result and does not reproduce confidential suitability criteria.

For a broader TSA-only walkthrough of how the background stage fits between medical processing, Ready Pool and final selection, use our specialist TSA Career hiring-process guide. TSA Career is part of our own network; your live federal forms and TSA notices remain controlling.

Where the background check sits

TSA currently publishes this sequence around the background stage:

  1. Airport Assessment;
  2. medical evaluation and federal drug screening;
  3. background check;
  4. Ready Pool.

That means the Ready Pool comes after required background work in TSA’s current public process, not while the background investigation is still an unfinished hiring gate.

For the full sequence, see the TSA Hiring Process guide.

What TSA currently says the background stage includes

TSA’s public TSO page lists three main elements:

  • complete an electronic SF-86 National Security Questionnaire;
  • schedule and complete a fingerprinting appointment;
  • complete credit and criminal-history record checks.

TSA’s current e-86 preparation checklist explains that TSO candidates complete the electronic version of the SF-86 through the eAPP system hosted by NBIS.

What is the e-86 / SF-86?

TSA’s candidate checklist explains that the SF-86, or electronic e-86, is used for background investigations for national-security sensitive positions such as the Transportation Security Officer role.

The checklist says all TSO candidates must complete the e-86 in the eAPP system in a timely manner.

It also warns that information on the SF-86 should match the OF-306 Declaration for Federal Employment completed earlier in the tentative-offer process.

Consistency matters. If you discover an error, use the official process to correct it rather than trying to make later forms match an earlier mistake.

Information to gather before starting the e-86

TSA’s current e-86 preparation checklist recommends gathering information before you begin.

Personal and citizenship information

Have relevant citizenship documentation and passport information available if applicable.

Residential history

The checklist asks candidates to prepare address history for the required period and contact information for people who can verify where they lived.

Education history

Prepare school names, addresses, attendance dates, and degree or diploma information when applicable.

Employment history

TSA’s checklist asks candidates to prepare a complete work history for the required period, including periods of unemployment, job dates, work locations, and supervisor contact information.

Selective Service information

If Selective Service requirements apply to you, have the registration number or proof of non-requirement available.

References and relatives

The checklist asks for personal references and detailed information about certain relatives.

Foreign contacts and travel

Prepare foreign-contact and foreign-travel details when they apply.

Criminal and financial records

If applicable, gather enough information to report criminal-history and delinquent-account, judgment, lien, or federal-debt information accurately.

Do not omit required information because you assume it is unimportant. Answer the form as written.

Fingerprinting

TSA’s current public TSO page lists fingerprinting as part of the background-check step.

Follow the appointment notice for:

  • location;
  • date and time;
  • identification requirements;
  • rescheduling instructions.

Do not rely on another candidate’s airport or appointment process because local logistics can differ.

Credit and criminal-history checks

TSA’s current public page explicitly states that credit and criminal-history record checks are part of the TSO background stage.

TSA also hosts an older applicant self-assessment document that discusses reliability, trustworthiness, criminal history, and financial issues. Because that document is revised June 2011, this guide does not treat its old dollar thresholds or offense summaries as a substitute for current candidate instructions or current law.

Use the live JOA, current TSA forms, and any current adjudication correspondence for your case.

How to reduce avoidable delays

Gather history before opening the form

Long address, work, school, and reference histories are easier to complete accurately when you prepare them first.

Make dates consistent

Compare your USAJOBS application, OF-306, resume if one was used, and e-86 history. Small date differences can create unnecessary follow-up.

Do not leave unexplained gaps

If the form requires a continuous period of residence or employment history, account for unemployment, study, travel, or other periods according to the instructions.

Respond to correction requests quickly

If TSA returns a form for correction, review every requested field before resubmitting.

Keep your contact information current

Investigators and candidate-care staff need to be able to reach you.

What this stage is not

The TSA background check is not:

  • the computer-based assessment;
  • the Airport Assessment interview;
  • the medical evaluation;
  • the federal drug screening;
  • a test you can “study” for by memorizing answers.

The high-value preparation is accurate documentation and timely responses.

What happens after the background check?

TSA’s current TSO page says candidates who complete all required steps enter the Ready Pool and become eligible for a final offer based on an airport’s hiring needs.

Ready Pool status does not itself equal a final offer, but it follows completion of the required hiring steps in TSA’s current public sequence.

Official sources checked for this update

FAQ

When does the TSA background check happen?

In TSA’s current public TSO sequence, it follows the medical evaluation and federal drug screening and comes before the Ready Pool.

What form do TSO candidates complete?

TSA’s current e-86 checklist says TSO candidates complete the SF-86 electronically as the e-86 through the eAPP system hosted by NBIS.

Does TSA fingerprint TSO candidates?

Fingerprinting is listed on TSA’s current public TSO page as part of the background-check step.

Are credit and criminal-history checks part of the process?

Yes. TSA’s current public TSO page lists both.

Should I use old TSA financial thresholds I find online?

Do not treat an old self-assessment document as current law or current adjudication guidance. Follow your live TSA forms, JOA, and current candidate instructions.